Using the word "the" before a highway number

[jakeroot]

I don't see the issue with using "the". Freeways are things. When you take "the 57 freeway", you're describing the road itself, not the route ("I used this stretch of pavement").

Congratulations.

Sarcasm...how original.

[Rothman]

I don't see the issue with using "the". Freeways are things. When you take "the 57 freeway", you're describing the road itself, not the route ("I used this stretch of pavement").

Congratulations.

Sarcasm...how original.

Really?  I'm a trailblazer!

[Bickendan]

Is "Boeing Freeway" official?

Oops, probably. (To be fair, I didn't say there weren't any named freeways, just that I couldn't think of them.)

WA 14: Lewis and Clark Freeway, Evergreen Highway
WA 432: Tennant Way (dubious)

[Chris19001]

I call U.S. Route 202 between West Chester and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania "the 202".

I don't get it.  Did you just pick a road at random, or do you like to separate yourself from locals up here?

[cpzilliacus]

When a road is referred to by its name (in my parts "The JFX" [I-83, Jones Falls Expressway; "The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel" [I-895]; "The Southeast/Southwest Freeway" [I-395 and I-695], "The Dulles Toll Road" [VA-267]; "The ICC" [MD-200]; "The Baltimore-Washington Parkway" [MD-295 or "secret" MD-295]; "The George Washington Parkway;" "The Outer Loop" or "The Inner Loop" [of the Capital Beltway, I-495 and partly I-95 - or Baltimore Beltway, I-695] or "The John Hanson Highway" [U.S. 50; U.S. 301 and "secret" I-595 (never used)], "the" is used. 

With routes that are known only by a number (I-66; I-95 north and south of the Capital Beltway; I-395 in Virginia; I-270 and others), "the" is not used.

Nobody ever talks about "The 95 Freeway," as it might have been called if it were in Southern California, but I have heard it called that on television shows and movies that were presumably written and produced in California.

[cl94]

I've heard news reporters in Buffalo put "the" in front of 87 or 95.

[1995hoo]

....

Nobody ever talks about "The 95 Freeway," as it might have been called if it were in Southern California, but I have heard it called that on television shows and movies that were presumably written and produced in California.

In general, I seldom hear people from this part of the country use the word "freeway" at all unless it's part of an often-used road name–and of course there's the oddity of the traffic reporters always calling the Southeast—Southwest Freeway simply "the Freeway" ("oddity" because the Whitehurst Freeway is nearby). I say "often-used road name" because I never hear anyone refer to I-295 as the Anacostia Freeway.

[duaneu2]

SR 520/Hwy 520/"520" is used, "the 520" is not.

I've heard "the 520" plenty of times. It's not universal by any stretch, but I've heard it. I've heard "the 509", "the 518", "the 101", "the 167", and "the 405" on many occasions as well.

Those are usually used by transplants, at least in my experience.

It's a shame we don't have proper names for our freeways. Some do (SR 167 is unofficially the "Valley Freeway", which is a nice name), but they're never really used by anyone.

Same goes for our interchanges. Plenty of potential names out there, but we don't have a tradition of naming them yet.

It cracks me up that the nav system in my car labels I-90 the "Mountains to Sound Greenway". I can't imagine anyone actually ever calling it that.

[cl94]

SR 520/Hwy 520/"520" is used, "the 520" is not.

I've heard "the 520" plenty of times. It's not universal by any stretch, but I've heard it. I've heard "the 509", "the 518", "the 101", "the 167", and "the 405" on many occasions as well.

Those are usually used by transplants, at least in my experience.

It's a shame we don't have proper names for our freeways. Some do (SR 167 is unofficially the "Valley Freeway", which is a nice name), but they're never really used by anyone.

Same goes for our interchanges. Plenty of potential names out there, but we don't have a tradition of naming them yet.

It cracks me up that the nav system in my car labels I-90 the "Mountains to Sound Greenway". I can't imagine anyone actually ever calling it that.

Waze sometimes gives things official/ceremonial names even if they are never posted or used. I'll typically change them to what is posted if I have clearance to edit the segment.

[bzakharin]

Here in New York, if you use "the" before a number, it means you're talking about a subway line, not a highway.  For example, if you say "the 1 and 9," it means a subway line that used to exist on the West Side of Manhattan.  If you say just "1 and 9," it means US 1/US 9 across the Hudson River in New Jersey.

You get up every morning
From your alarm clock's warning
Take the 8:15 into the city

Sitting here in the Philadelphia area, if somebody said The [number], my first guess would be a bus number. If there isn't one with that number, I might think it's the time your train leaves your station. And nobody says freeway.

The only exception to both of these rules is "The 42 Freeway". I once analyzed this as "the freeway portion of Route 42", but given that there are other partial freeways that don't get this (US 130, US 30, NJ 18), I don't think that's right. It's just the "name" of the road. Though wasn't I-295 known as "the 130 freeway" while under construction?

[jemacedo9]

The only other nuance in the Philly area is...the US 30 freeway in Chester County will be called "The 30 Bypass" on traffic reports...as opposed to the rest of "Route 30" on the Main Line - the parts of US 30 that run through eastern Chester Co, Montgomery Co, and Delaware Co.

[epzik8]

Anyone else call Maryland/Delaware Route 404 "the 404"? It's the Bay Bridge-Rehoboth corridor so.

[KEVIN_224]

All I'd need is to hear somebody in Massachusetts give directions and say "You take THE 128 to the..." and I'd die!

NO! NO! NO! 

[jakeroot]

All I'd need is to hear somebody in Massachusetts give directions and say "You take THE 128 to the..." and I'd die!

NO! NO! NO! 

Do you dislike Californians?

[cpzilliacus]

Anyone else call Maryland/Delaware Route 404 "the 404"? It's the Bay Bridge-Rehoboth corridor so.

Always heard it referred to as "404" or sometimes "Route 404," but never "the 404."

[cpzilliacus]

....

Nobody ever talks about "The 95 Freeway," as it might have been called if it were in Southern California, but I have heard it called that on television shows and movies that were presumably written and produced in California.

In general, I seldom hear people from this part of the country use the word "freeway" at all unless it's part of an often-used road name–and of course there's the oddity of the traffic reporters always calling the Southeast—Southwest Freeway simply "the Freeway" ("oddity" because the Whitehurst Freeway is nearby). I say "often-used road name" because I never hear anyone refer to I-295 as the Anacostia Freeway.

That is correct.  "Freeway" on D.C.-area traffic reports means the S.E./S.W. Freeway.

Regarding the Whitehurst Freeway, it is not really a functional class freeway but just a viaduct, and it it sometimes just called "The Whitehurst" (but never referred to by its route number, U.S. 29, since it is poorly signed, and northbound U.S. 29 is eastbound on the Whitehurst and southbound U.S. 29 is westbound on the Whitehurst).

[myosh_tino]

All I'd need is to hear somebody in Massachusetts give directions and say "You take THE 128 to the..." and I'd die!

NO! NO! NO! 

Do you dislike southern Californians?

Fixed that for you. 

[jakeroot]

All I'd need is to hear somebody in Massachusetts give directions and say "You take THE 128 to the..." and I'd die!

NO! NO! NO! 

Do you dislike southern Californians?

Fixed that for you.

Is that true though? I've been hearing "the" all up and down the west coast for several years. Obviously it's more prevalent in southern California, but it's not like "the" doesn't exist in the Bay Area.

Besides, I doubt most people outside of those along the west coast actually understand "the" as being a SoCal "invention". It's just a "California thing".

[myosh_tino]

All I'd need is to hear somebody in Massachusetts give directions and say "You take THE 128 to the..." and I'd die!

NO! NO! NO! 

Do you dislike southern Californians?

Fixed that for you.

Is that true though? I've been hearing "the" all up and down the west coast for several years. Obviously it's more prevalent in southern California, but it's not like "the" doesn't exist in the Bay Area.

For the most part northern Californians like myself consider using "the" before a route number to be blasphemous and will ridicule those that refer to our freeways as "The 80" or "The 101".  There have been numerous columns written by Gary Richards of the San Jose Mercury News about the "The" phenomenon and how much it's reviled by native northern Californians as many of us don't want to have anything to do with our "neighbors to the south."

[roadfro]

All I'd need is to hear somebody in Massachusetts give directions and say "You take THE 128 to the..." and I'd die!

NO! NO! NO! 

Do you dislike southern Californians?

Fixed that for you.

Is that true though? I've been hearing "the" all up and down the west coast for several years. Obviously it's more prevalent in southern California, but it's not like "the" doesn't exist in the Bay Area.

For the most part northern Californians like myself consider using "the" before a route number to be blasphemous and will ridicule those that refer to our freeways as "The 80" or "The 101".  There have been numerous columns written by Gary Richards of the San Jose Mercury News about the "The" phenomenon and how much it's reviled by native northern Californians as many of us don't want to have anything to do with our "neighbors to the south."

FWIW, California's south/north divide on the use/non-use of "the" also extends into Nevada. "The X" has been prevalent in the Vegas area for as long as I can remember, but is rarely used in Reno area. We just don't get as upset about it in Nevada as they apparently do in NorCal...

[cpzilliacus]

FWIW, California's south/north divide on the use/non-use of "the" also extends into Nevada. "The X" has been prevalent in the Vegas area for as long as I can remember, but is rarely used in Reno area. We just don't get as upset about it in Nevada as they apparently do in NorCal...

I believe that "the" is also acceptable use in San Diego County (such as "the 8;" "the 805;" "the 94;" "the 163;" "the 5;" and "the 15").

[Super Mateo]

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.  Here, "the" is NEVER used in front of a number, but that's about the only thing that's certain.  When using names, freeways and tollways tend to get it (the Ryan, the Stevenson, the Kennedy, etc.) but arterials don't (Halsted, Harlem, LaGrange, etc.).  Lake Michigan doesn't, but the Chicago River does.

It's even hit or miss with Spanish names.  Los Angeles (the Angels) always includes Los, while Las Vegas (the Meadows) frequently has the Las omitted.  Both Los & Las mean "the," so why is one ALWAYS included while the other often isn't?  It doesn't make any logical sense.

[jwolfer]

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.  Here, "the" is NEVER used in front of a number, but that's about the only thing that's certain.  When using names, freeways and tollways tend to get it (the Ryan, the Stevenson, the Kennedy, etc.) but arterials don't (Halsted, Harlem, LaGrange, etc.).  Lake Michigan doesn't, but the Chicago River does.

It's even hit or miss with Spanish names.  Los Angeles (the Angels) always includes Los, while Las Vegas (the Meadows) frequently has the Las omitted.  Both Los & Las mean "the," so why is one ALWAYS included while the other often isn't?  It doesn't make any logical sense.

Like New Jersey... Lots of people just say Jersey... But I have never heard York or Hampshire...

My nephew went to high school in San Diego... He says "the 10" "the 95" here in Jacksonville.. In Orlando the toll roads are "the 408" "the 417" on traffic reports.. But it always I-4

LGMS428

[cpzilliacus]

My nephew went to high school in San Diego... He says "the 10" "the 95" here in Jacksonville.. In Orlando the toll roads are "the 408" "the 417" on traffic reports.. But it always I-4

The TCA Toll Roads in Orange County [California] (CA-241, CA-261, CA-133 and (most of) CA-73) seem to be treated the same way as other Southern California freeways when it comes to "the," with no mention of their status as tolled freeways.

[bing101]

All I'd need is to hear somebody in Massachusetts give directions and say "You take THE 128 to the..." and I'd die!

NO! NO! NO! 

Do you dislike southern Californians?

Fixed that for you.

Is that true though? I've been hearing "the" all up and down the west coast for several years. Obviously it's more prevalent in southern California, but it's not like "the" doesn't exist in the Bay Area.

Besides, I doubt most people outside of those along the west coast actually understand "the" as being a SoCal "invention". It's just a "California thing".

Huh? I'm from Northern California we have two types of tendencies of naming freeways its "On Highway 880" or "On 880 Nimitz Freeway" or "On Highway 80 Eastshore freeway" Or "On 80"
Some of this was a carry over when I-80 was then called US-40 Eastshore Highway.

In Sacramento you have to call a freeway by its designation like I-5,  Business-80, I-80, US-50, Highway 50, Ca-99, CA-113 and I-505 or Highway 505.

Note Solano county uses both the Sacramento way of Calling freeways and Bay Area way of Calling freeways due to being a commuter county for both Sacramento and Bay Area.